The Pharisee and the Tax Collector

 The Pharisee and the Tax Collector, a Level II material.  The wooden doors represent the Temple of Jerusalem and I painted the doors golden as they were the doors leading to the Holy of Holies, the Arc of the Covenant.  No one but the priests could enter this sacred place and so the Pharisee stands and prays close to the door while the humble Tax Collector stays far away.
It is an interesting scripture on humility and how we should pray and think of ourselves.

If I haven't already mentioned it, Level I in Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is for 3 to 6 years olds.  Level II is for 6 to 9 year olds.  Sophia Cavelletti is the founder of this beautiful program.  She passed away in her eighties last year.  She studied Maria Montessori, who was a doctor and gave up that profession to study how children learn and at what ages and stages they understand and have knowledge.  Sophia Cavelletti was a Biblical Scholar and a scientist who studied children for twenty years as to how they learned the Bible based on Montessori's studies.  She found that three year olds, for example, loved the Good Shepherd because they wanted to feel safe.  She was also a writer for Vatican II.  So I am always confident when presenting these Bible Stories that the children will have understanding of what Jesus was saying and will really enjoy them.  In fact, they are so attentive and can hardly wait to get to work on their own with these materials.

It is wonderful to see one child reading the Scripture while another child works with the materials.  They get it.

The Good Samaritan (The Sacrament Retreat)

The Good Samaritan, a moral parable in Level II, is one of the children's favorites.  It really creates a lot of discussion and thought for them.  The small box with the door represents the Inn.  My husband made the Inn and road.  I did the painting and decorated it with the rocks.  I would suggest getting the lightest weight wood you can use.  This is heavy.  I keep it on the bottom shelf but usually help the child put in on a rug or desk. The figures were purchased and I painted them.  

One of my favorite parts of doing these materials is finding the right box to keep them in.  I know
the children enjoy looking inside them and getting out the figures.  I usually find them in Thrift Shops or second hand stores.  That was a favorite pastime when I first started.  I usually cover the inside of the box with material.  Often the boxes are in pretty used condition and so I sometimes have to sand and stain them.  This one had a lovely old painting on the top.  I can't help but wonder where these old boxes have been.

The Sacrament Retreat (The Good Samaritan Presentation)

Two thousand years ago it was normal for people to walk miles to get to their destination.  They didn't have money for horses.  Soldiers had horses but ordinary people might have a donkey to ride or carry things for them.  People in Egypt and other parts of the world rode camels like the three Magi, but for the most part people were very poor and had little.  It was not unusual for them to walk during the night and knock on someone's door asking for food and lodging.  Even Jesus and his apostles did this.  Jesus told his Apostles that if someone invites you into their home, accept their hospitality.  That's how they traveled.  Now this is a model of the road from Jerusalem down to Jericho that was commonly traveled.  It was a desert road and a mountainous area with many big rocks that robbers could hide behind.  It was well known to be very dangerous where robbers left people for dead.  It was on this dark road that a man was robbed and left wounded on the side of the road.  (I show the man on the road and the robbers).

(Then I remove the robbers and talk about the Jewish priest who was walking down that road.)  He passes the injured man and doesn't help him.  Next, a Levite, (who I explain is like a Deacon) passes the injured man also, and he doesn't help him either.  I tell the children how the Jewish people were in slavery by the Egyptians for hundreds of years and when they were freed they had to make up all these laws and rules to live by as they'd never been free before.  Some of their rules weren't easy and some were difficult.  One was that you couldn't do anything on the Sabbath, even if it meant helping someone.  In fact, that is one of the reasons Jesus died on the cross.  He broke their Sabbath law and performed miracles.  (Now I move the priest and Levite off the road to the bottom of the road).

Next, the Samaritan and his Donkey come down that road but see the man and he is moved with compassion.  I then tell the children how the Jews had no respect for Samaritans as they were part Jew but did not worship their God of Abraham and those that did practiced their faith differently.
They would never speak to them.  (Now I light the candle and read the Scripture.)

Afterward I ask them what they heard.  "Do you think the Samaritan would have helped the Levite and the Priest?"  Then I give out the Maxim plaques, one to each child and ask them to tell me if their Maxim applies to this story.  Happily most times they are absolutely right.  They get it.  But even if they aren't it gives me a chance to go over that Maxim and explain how it doesn't apply and what it means.  I do this after each Parable and in that way we are reviewing the Maxims as well as the Parables.  All of the Maxims address behavior toward others and how to pray.

Now go to the "Insistent Friend" link for that presentation explained.

Flight into Egypt

 The Flight into Egypt is challenging but a lot of fun to make.  This is my daughter's work which she made for an atrium in Georgia while  staying with me.  She is an artist unlike myself.  It never ceases to amaze me how everyone's sculptures look so much different.  Also every sculpture an individual creates looks exactly the same.  It's like a person's signature.  Try as I will, I can't make my figures look any different, perhaps a little improved, but that's the best I can do.

Flight into Egypt is a Level II (6 to 9 year old) work.  The work also includes 3 panels with pictures showing Jerusalem, journey through the desert, and Egypt along with sign showing both directions.

    

 

 

 

 

Below are the materials that my husband and I made.  He did the three panels and the wooden sign.  I did the staining and painting, the figures and Scripture booklets.  I downloaded the photos and enjoyed choosing from all the images and reading about these places.  You really enter into the Scripture while doing these materials.